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CELEBRATING THE 16TH AMENDMENT’S ANNIVERSARY

– But are we getting tired of being the whipping boys for irresponsible government spending.

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Today is the 101st anniversary of the ratification of the 16th Amendment (1913) which authorized the federal government to collect income tax:

“The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.”

42 states ratified the amendment, four rejected it, and two didn’t even bring it to the floor for consideration, including Florida. It was passed just in time to help pay for World War I.

Prior to this, the government relied on customs duties (tariffs) and excise taxes for revenue. During the Civil War, an income tax was imposed until 1872.

The point is, Americans didn’t always pay income tax. It wasn’t until the 20th century that it became a fixture in our country and, at first, people were proud to pay it as it was considered a symbol of patriotism. Not so anymore. According to the Tax Policy Center, 43% of the people do not pay income taxes. That places a burden on the rest of us who grudgingly pay it, but believe it is nothing more than a redistribution of the wealth.

To compound the problem, it looks like income taxes are going to continue to grow to record levels, increasing from
approximately $2T today to nearly $3T in 2018 (source: usgovernmentrevenue.com). We are also acutely aware of the federal debt which has reached epic proportions. Knowing this, will citizens continue to pay income taxes unquestioning? Hardly. In all likelihood, you are going to either see more people dodge their responsibility, or an economic revolution is in the offing. Don’t forget, the Revolutionary War was triggered by unfair taxes.

Unless something radical is done to curb the debt and taxes, a revolution is not just likely, it is inevitable. The people are growing weary of being the whipping boys for irresponsible government spending.

Keep the Faith!

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5 Responses to “CELEBRATING THE 16TH AMENDMENT’S ANNIVERSARY”

You are 100% correct Tim and while we have always paid and will pay our taxes, I for one am sick to death of the out-of-control spending in Washington DC. It’s despicable and needs to be stopped or our nation is toast. Great article filled with TRUTH.

“There is nothing to celebrate here Tim. I like how you point out we didn’t always pay income taxes. A couple of dumb questions. When they say 43% of the people don’t pay income taxes who are they? If you have a job they take out money from your pay check. Even if you get it all back the following April you don’t have your money and the government doesn’t pay interest. Do they refund the amounts for SSI and Medicare?

Here’s the really dumb question number 2, why not pay your tax at the point of purchase. It is the 21st century. When they swipe your debt or credit card the bank takes it $1.68 or so it could just as easily send the government its money. The knee jerk reaction I get when I ask this is the rich won’t pay. But I think the rich spend a helluva lot more than the rest of us.”